Cheap Guitars as a Lifestyle

[Big_Al]

As an analogy, one guy I work with is an incredible driver. He holds dirt track course records all over the state. He once even was invited to try out for a NASCAR position. His personal vehicle is a fifteen year old minivan. Another co-worker owns a couple of very fast $50K-plus vehicles. He basically uses them to commute to work and pick up groceries. I don't criticize either of them. They are both great guys and I enjoy working with them. I do find the situation a little ironic though.

[billgennaro]

Originally Posted by flaggerphil

It's my life, my money, my guitar playing. It's what makes me happy.

YMMV.

Well said, Phil. I don't demand the best of everything in life. I live in a modest condo (my cousin's master bath is bigger than my master bedroom), drive a very modest car, replenish my tee-shirts and jeans about every 3 years or so, and make a modest living, but I do enjoy (in my mind's eye) the best guitars I can find, the best woman I've ever met, the best single malt scotches, and the best cigars (again, IMO). These are the four items (if a wife can be called an "item" for just a moment) that make me happiest. The trick that works for me is to know yourself and know what makes you happy. Then go out and get it if it's at all possible.

Of course, YMMV.

Bill

[Random1643]

+1 It's my life, my money, my guitar playing. It's what makes me happy.

That is the deal. Happiness. That said, I may arrive of course at a completely different outcome guitar-wise, but that's okay. It's whatever makes each of us happy.

I've spent more than $1,000 on acoupla guitars over the years. Right now my go-to guitars cost me $320 - a parlor kept in open tunings - and $820 - a dread kept in standard & drop D tunings - respectively. I'm happy. I've played guitars worth 10-30 times the parlor. Loved playing them. Bruce Petros was my guitar tech for a while; totally impressed with his guitars. Was I 30 times happier than when playing my parlor? 10 times as happy? Even 5 times happier? Nah. Did I spend 15 seconds thinking about buying any of those guitars? Nope. I've got what I need and happy with what I've got. My plan is to play them the rest of my life. I hope folks can be happy with whatever choices they make; have fun playing the guitar.

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

I've only been here a short time but can tell there are lots of owners of high-end guitars here. And that's great. But I'm wondering about the folks who have always played cheaper gear and are ok with it.

Me? The most I've ever paid for a guitar was $600, my Larrivee (used). I have just never ventured into the $1000+ category. Haven't really had a reason to. I have a close friend who is a great player and has never paid much for a guitar either.

It seems like these are the best times ever to play less expensive instruments, sort of a Golden Age. I'm grateful for that.

Agreeing only to show I have a completely practical side that requires the obligatory acknowledgement for the sake of obliging good economy.

That said....


There's life beyond using only three sheets of toilet paper per wipe.

[AllThumbsBruce]

The only issue I have with cheap guitars is when they are viewed as throw-away items. Cheap guitars use nearly the same amount of wood and other resources, but their lifetime is often less because of reluctance to pay more for repairs than the cost of replacement.

[EoE]

-,- tone is directly effected by my effects console O,O

[Don W]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

I've only been here a short time but can tell there are lots of owners of high-end guitars here. And that's great. But I'm wondering about the folks who have always played cheaper gear and are ok with it.

Me? The most I've ever paid for a guitar was $600, my Larrivee (used). I have just never ventured into the $1000+ category. Haven't really had a reason to. I have a close friend who is a great player and has never paid much for a guitar either.

It seems like these are the best times ever to play less expensive instruments, sort of a Golden Age. I'm grateful for that.

Per your posting...you've got to hear Ed Gerhards CD "House of Guitars". The most amazing guitar music ever, recoreded on yard sale guitars etc.. Its a tribute to those old discarded instruments...truly a must listen. The liner notes are great too, explaining the recordngs and what instruments he used.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Don W

Per your posting...you've got to hear Ed Gerhards CD "House of Guitars". The most amazing guitar music ever, recoreded on yard sale guitars etc.. Its a tribute to those old discarded instruments...truly a must listen. The liner notes are great too, explaining the recordngs and what instruments he used.

Wow, that sounds fun. Will check this out. Thank you.

[jcarlos]

I come from poverty so I have strong opinions about this so will only say this. Good music can be made on anything.

Here's one of my favorite groups making music out of garbage.

And backing Metallica

[FluffyDog6]

Cheap guitars, trashy women and free beer keep America strong.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by zombywoof

Not so sure I would say we are in a Golden Age though as much as we are just experiencing the latest installment. There seem to have always been great sounding guitars with us from the Schmidt Stellas you got free when you signed up for his mail order music lessons to the Harmony Sovereigns of the 1950s and 1960s.

What I mean is that there have never been so many good choices for less money. Even 20 yrs ago, getting a solid wood acoustic for not much money was out of the question. Cheap then meant pressed wood guitars with little or nothing in the way of playability. And "Made in China" or pretty much anywhere but the USA meant piece of junk. Not so anymore. I just think we are pretty fortunate as musicians in these times.

[zombywoof]

Originally Posted by Puddleglum

What I mean is that there have never been so many good choices for less money. Even 20 yrs ago, getting a solid wood acoustic for not much money was out of the question.

You might have had a drought from the mid-1970s through the 1980s but Harmony for one never offered a made in the USA guitar that was not built with all solid wood. In the early 1970s you could still buy a spruce top mahogany body Sovereign 1203 for about 1/3 what a new Martin D-18 would run you. An all-birch Stella could still be had for around $30.

The main difference between then and now though would be playability. Some of those old guitars may have been made with all wood but were not the easiest things in the world to play. Proper neck pitch was not in their vocabulary. Yet, many of us somehow managed to learn on these guitars.

[rmyAddison]

Why even go there...........

If you really love playing guitar, I'm going on 50 years of playing and still play daily and gig occasionally, why would you not want the best you can afford for something you love?

Then it breaks down to means, some folks can't afford expensive guitars, I couldn't most of my life, but I never made excuses or justifications or put down folks who could, or said my inexpensive guitars were just as good, I simply couldn't afford them.

Decades of hard work means I now can afford them, and for me it was well worth the wait to have some wonderful instruments.

Keeping it real, it's the very rare person in my experience, whose situation improves over their lifetime, who sincerely loves acoustic guitars, and doesn't move up the food chain when they can afford to, and I've known hundreds of players/musicians in my lifetime. A lot of younger players have more money in their guitar(s) than their cars !!

Cheap guitars as a "lifestyle" is off target to me, as when most folks lifestyle improves so do their guitars, the vast majority.

It's a journey, and journey's involve change, and the journey's of all the players I have ever known started with inexpensive guitars, and as means improved so did the guitars....don't worry about the other guy, enjoy "your" journey.............

[J.R. Rogers]

I think the future of our economy depends on individuals being able to compete with the large corporations for a consumer's dollar. The acoustic guitar manufacturing world is really interesting because there are the big guys (Gibson, etc.) at one end, and the individual builders at the other, and there's virtually nothing in the middle. I support a system where people can do something they love and make enough money at it without having to work for someone else, and the boutique guitar and accessory market is a great microcosm to see this at work. Every time you buy a handbuilt guitar, amp, pedal, strap, pick, etc., you're putting money into the pocket of an individual creative person instead of a large corporation or China.

The concept of "saving money" may be great at the grocery store but this is your ART for crying out loud! Wouldn't you rather have some individuality in that?

Besides, none of the big guys will build you one of these....

[Dave T]

Originally Posted by J.R. Rogers

Besides, none of the big guys will build you one of these....

Now that you've highlighted that model, some Chinese copycat industry will start turning out knock-offs by the thousands. (smile)

Dave